In the past month, following the inauguration of President Trump, I have noticed a spike in many kinds of hate. Whether it be the hatred towards the LGBTQ+ community or the one that hits closest to home: the hatred being spread toward the Latino community.
I want to highlight one thing, even if it is the only takeaway from my article: what is the difference between an undocumented immigrant and a Hispanic individual? Can you tell them apart? Is there any distinguishing difference that stands out more than our culture? Or is it just a matter of perception, where all of us are grouped together, labeled and judged by prejudice rather than facts?
But who is to say that this isn’t what America is great at?
Whether it be the hatred that led to the internment of Japanese Americans after the Pearl Harbor attack — regardless of their legal status —- or the discrimination against the Irish, forcing them into a subhuman category or the ongoing mistreatment of Black Americans, this is America. Our America. My America.
Hatred has always found its way into the headlines of our nation’s top news articles and media. It is so easy to pinpoint, yet we continually fail to recognize the patterns until history repeats itself. Up until the early 2000’s, Italians were vilified and criminalized in the media, but who remembers that now?
You might be thinking “Okay, but what does this have to do with today?” It’s about recognizing the patterns and understanding that it is happening again, right now. We love to say, “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes,” but almost every ethnic group in America already has. So why must we continue to endure this cycle of hatred? Why is America known for it? The rich against the poor, people against one another. Regardless of political affiliation, this war of hatred is an egregious sin that has transformed a nation built on justice, freedom and unity into one that leaves those in affected minority groups wondering: when will I be harassed next?
Witnessing this new chapter of American history has led me to question many things in my life. My family is two generations deep of Hispanic citizens; will that matter? Do I have to fear being detained because I fit a profile? Will I have to pause my schooling, my friendships, my life because, although I am a U.S. citizen, I am still a Hispanic woman at the end of the day?
The steps towards my future have notable steps of dread ahead. America, what is it that we are aiming for?